Business News

Forty businesses and individuals have been shortlisted for the Solihull Chamber of Commerce’s annual awards, which will be handed out during a glittering ceremony next month. The winners of 10 sector awards will be revealed on the night, with one business going on to be crowned the overall Solihull Business of the Year.

A leading Cumbrian law firm is celebrating one of its client’s winning contracts worth more than £4million.

Collaboration and joint ventures are becoming ever more prevalent for SMEs looking to combine their skills and expertise to bid for major industry contracts across a range of sectors.

Sustainability and its role in the industry will play a major part in next month’s UK Construction Week Birmingham, with a special section dedicated to Net Zero, a rich programme of panels and speakers and a myriad of exhibitors showcasing products which focus on protecting the environment. Guest speakers on the Net Zero stage will include Frank Gordon, Director of Policy at the Renewable Energy Association; Cat Fletcher, CEO, Freegle; and Maya de Souza, Circular Economy Campaign Director, BITC (Business In The Community).

2 in 3 white collar workers over the age of 55 have been overlooked for a promotion in the last year – compared to over a third (37%) of professionals under the age of 30, who have received a promotion.

The findings – from an upcoming Diversity & Inclusion report from recruitment consultancy Robert Walters – highlights how in spite of a fiercely competitive hiring market, over 50s are being overlooked for opportunities in favour of much younger and less experienced workers.

A survey out today from Project Solar UK found that 36% of respondents living in and around Birmingham said they would take fewer showers and 26% would choose to take cold showers when asked what they would consider doing to lower energy costs. Fifteen per cent would install solar panels in their home and 4% would move house to a place with solar panels already installed in an effort to reduce outgoings on energy bills. 

Downtown in Business will be joined by the Chief Executive of the West Midlands Growth Company, Neil Rami, for an exclusive roundtable lunch on Thursday 20th October at The Botanist, in Birmingham.

Neil Rami is Chief Executive of the West Midlands Growth Company.

Birmingham’s bold strategy on tackling inequalities both across the city and within Birmingham City Council was presented to Cabinet.

An updated plan setting out council’s plans to address existing inequalities outlined key successes of the past year – and also recognised there were still much to do ensure its workforce reflects the city it serves.

Banks and energy company shareholders should help finance a sustained freeze on household energy prices to reduce the burden on taxpayers, according to a proposal from the analyst Michael Johnson, published by the Social Market Foundation today.

Johnson – a former investment banker who has advised several leading politicians on economic policy – suggests that both energy providers and the government should purchase collateral assets to back a funding facility to support providers that run into financial trouble.

Businesses in the West Midlands are being placed at the heart of skills provision in the region in what is being described as a “game-changing shift” to help solve the skills crisis.

Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and the Black Country Chamber of Commerce have been selected by the Department for Education to lead on the region’s Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).

Three more applicants have successfully secured grants from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to help better connect people in the region to nature.

Kingstanding Regeneration Trust, Feeding Coventry and Caldmore Community Garden in Walsall have each received funding under the WMCA’s Community Green Grants scheme to improve the access to nature in deprived communities by improving green spaces or enhancing the local environment.

EarthSense, the air quality specialist, is working with Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council which is using Zephyr air quality monitors and a public data portal to empower faith leaders and communities to learn about air pollution and how to minimise personal exposure.

A new recipient of an honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University has urged graduates to invest in the city and help remove the poverty threshold for children and young people. Speaking at a graduation ceremony, Paul Cadman - Vice President of charity Acorns Hospice and Visiting Professor at Birmingham City University - highlighted that over 40% of children in the city live below an internationally recognised level of living standards.

West Midlands law firm Shakespeare Martineau has launched a new food and drink sector group to provide a full-service legal offering to support the industry, which is valued at more than £100 billion.

Offering tailored advice and a one-stop-shop to the food and drink market, the group covers commercial, employment, corporate and real estate law, alongside intellectual property, business immigration, landlord and tenant disputes, commercial disputes, food regulatory and uninsured loss recovery advice.

One of the UK’s leading manufacturers of complex cable harnesses and wiring looms has opened a second manufacturing site in the Black Country after a surge in orders from new and existing customers. Teepee Electrical, which has secured over £500,000 of additional contracts since the turn of the year, has invested more than £200,000 in taking on and fitting out the additional 7500 sq ft unit in Aldridge.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has been announced as a VIP keynote speaker at UK Construction Week Birmingham (UKCW Birmingham), the UK’s largest event for the built environment, which returns to Birmingham’s NEC from 4th to 6th October 2022.

UKCW Question Time with Andy Street will take place on the main stage on Thursday 6th October, and will see Mr Street answering Midanders' major construction questions on the Future Homes Strategy; the Housing and Land Board; careers and skills; infrastructure; transport; regeneration and much more.

South East's leading Independent foodservice wholesaler, Q Catering, has started its vast warehouse expansion development this month, resulting in an extra 11,600 sq. ft of storage facilities across the site. The Sittingbourne-based company is a trusted and reliable foodservice wholesaler which offers an ever-increasing range of quality grocery, chilled, and frozen food products across more than 1,700 product lines, from local and national suppliers.